# Show me your Meerschaum



## RupturedDuck (Jan 11, 2012)

As I've mentioned before, when I was a n00b pipe smoker, I was going to school in Annopolis, MD, and frequented "The Smoke Shop." The proprietor there at the time, Francis, has forever shaped my idea of the perfect tobacconist. Already off subject. Ok. In one of our discussions on piping, meerschaum came up. He explained to me that meerschaum pipes were CHEAP!!! in Turkey (this was probably 20 years ago, and I'm sure that things have changed...but hear me out). Francis was born in France (fancy that!) and was a child when WWII ended...to give you an idea about the things he has seen. Anyway, I knew he knew more about pipes than I did, and figured he knew more about Turkey's relationship to the meerschaum market than I did, so I listened intently.

One of my friends was doing the post highschool/I-didn't-go-to-a-service-academy thing traipsing around Europe during the summer. When I heard that he was planning a stop in Turkey, I told him he had to pick me up a meerschaum. So he kindly obliged. The pipe he brought home was a large, beautifully latticed speciman. The problem was that it had a straight stem, despite the meerschaum part being designed for a bent stem. I later learned that it was a "basket pipe" from a street vendor. But I'll tell you, the meerschaum was beautiful...it just needed a correct stem.

I smoked the pipe once or twice, kind of annoyed by the bowl obviously facing the wrong way. Eventually I decided that I liked the pipe, but just needed the correct stem fitted for it. My local tobacconist (at this point is was Gus' Smoke Shop, a classic albeit now closed San Fernando Valley pipe store) told me he could have one fitted for $20. Yes, this doubled my investment in the pipe, but I deemed it well worth the expense. I was right. This pipe quickly became my favorite smoker. It wasn't long before amber coloring started to shine through below the raised texture of the lattice. I was really encouraged by this, and it prompted me to enjoy this pipe more and more often.

Well, unfortunately, this is not the end of the story. One poker night with the boys, I brought my favorite pipe, packed in my leather pipe/tobacco pouch to the event. I enjoyed a great night of Hold'em (I don't remember if I won or not. I'm no shark when compared to people who consider themselves poker players, but I play pretty good against the other recreational players, so it is likely). However, the next day, when I opened my pouch to retrieve my goto pipe, I was horrified to see that I had snapped the shank clear off the bowl! The pipe was ruined, and I smoked a lot less in the week or so that followed.

Since that time, I've kept my eye out for the perfect meerschaum to start dedicating to my rotation. 7 or 8 years passed and still I did not have a meerschaum. Recently, I picked up a "vintage" meerschaum from eBay. I'm not 100% how much I like her. The tenon is a little loose, and may require replacement. It had never been smoked when I picked it up, and it cost not much at all. So far, I've put 5 bowls through it, and I have no complaints. I'm excited to see how it colors.

I think she is a little bit angry at me...I hope she warms up:










There is a lot of detail that looks like it will only improve with coloring:









So we will see how we work out. I love to see well enjoyed meerschaum pipes.

Who else has a great meerschaum that they would like to share?

RD


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## Firedawg (Nov 8, 2010)

1977 Peterson Red Rapier African meerschaum (Peterson doesnt use african meer anymore)


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## RupturedDuck (Jan 11, 2012)

Wow! That looks great!


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)




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## BigKev77 (Feb 16, 2008)

I have always wanted a good block meerschaum but have never found one that tickled my fancy in the right price range. Look forward to seeing these pics.


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## mirain (Jun 29, 2009)

I got this one about a year ago. It's quite a spectacular chunk of meerschaum with a huge bowl. It's my favorite out of the three I have.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)




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## VanguArd (Mar 7, 2012)

Oh my goodness!! those are beautiful!! do you have a link to where you bought them?? (directed at mark)


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## Siv (Jul 26, 2010)




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## Firedawg (Nov 8, 2010)

VanguArd said:


> Oh my goodness!! those are beautiful!! do you have a link to where you bought them?? (directed at mark)


for the Puff 2011 pipe

Altinok Meerschaum Pipes - PUFF PIPE 2011

I like the churchwarden I bet that is one cool smoke.

Mark that lattice is coloring nicely!


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## VanguArd (Mar 7, 2012)

And THAT I cannot afford. X_X Wish i could, it's quite beautiful.


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

Here's an old thread with some nice ones:
http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/general-pipe-forum/289429-meerschaum-lets-see-them.html


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## pffintuff (Apr 20, 2011)

Here's a Baki I need to start coloring again.


And a couple of Peterson African Block.


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## Tudorp (Dec 24, 2011)

Here's most of my Meer...









































































I think there are a few missing, but, I think that is a good sampling of them.


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

Not the best pic but this is my one and only meer. Got it because it reminded me of my 12 1/2 yr old black lab and I liked the different colored stem...


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## RupturedDuck (Jan 11, 2012)

Tudorp said:


> Here's most of my Meer...
> 
> I think there are a few missing, but, I think that is a good sampling of them.


I think there are a lot of them missing...I can't see any of them! 

RD


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## Tudorp (Dec 24, 2011)

Hmm.. Let me try again from a different host.

Again, here are most of mine. Let me know if they still don't show up.


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## Wallbright (Jan 2, 2011)




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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

VanguArd said:


> Oh my goodness!! those are beautiful!! do you have a link to where you bought them?? (directed at mark)


The other one was also from Sinan Altinok; check out his 'classic pipes'; I think it was #134.


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## Siv (Jul 26, 2010)

The rotation (clockwise from left):
- AND eBay meer, my first and good enough to get me interested
- IMP bent apple - small bowl for flakes etc
- Altinok straight poker
- Baki Pot, Cognac & Bent poker - my "serious" pipes
- Baki calabash
- Butz Choquin calabash, a really cool smoking pipe and my favourite to smoke
- Baki churchwarden


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Very nice looking pipes gents!


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## RupturedDuck (Jan 11, 2012)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> Very nice looking pipes gents!


Definitely. Some incredible pieces there! Thanks for showing!

RD


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## pipinho (Aug 27, 2011)




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## dgerwin11 (Jun 19, 2011)

These are the same IMP pipe. I prefer the feel of Vulcanite to Lucite. So I took a premolded stem from my cob mod stash and turned a tenon to fit. Not only do I like the mouth feel better, I believe I like the look better.
Before 








After


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## phinz (Jan 5, 2010)

Bottom left is a CAO I've had for over 20 years. The third from the bottom on the right is one my wife picked up for me last summer in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.


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## mcgreggor57 (Nov 3, 2011)

Amazing Scott. A bunch of beauties you have there.


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## Sblumberjack (Mar 20, 2011)

This is a meer I had made from Altinok pipes. Its a wonderful smoke and currently my favorite.


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